Lapis Lazuli
by reflection-of-nothing
Summary: Due to duties, lies, and a bitter betrayal, bonds break and fade, leaving nothing but a darker memory and feeling behind. But when love comes in ways they never had considered happening again, things become far more complicated than just a tribe feud and one's hunger for vengeance. (Modern AU) [EriUmi, KotoUmi, NozoEri, HonoMaki]
1. Prologue

**A/N: **I don't own Love Live! and I don't profit from writing fanfics since this is free reading material. Please be easy on me though since I am not perfectly a Nazi in English.

I know I have Love Marginal to write and finish, but this idea actually came around while I was drawing Umi in kimono and I liked the idea...so, had to write this. And I'll say it, this will be an ongoing fanfic just like Love Marginal, but this is an AU, so be warned on the characterization.

Anyhow, let's start the fic. See you at the end.

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**Prologue**

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She growled and hissed, running as fast as she could away from her perpetrator deeper and deeper into the forest, not wanting to continue their violent encounter any further than necessary, already knowing her limits as she cringe in pain and held her side in a futile attempt to stop the wound from bleeding further.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Whoever had attempted to snipe her down with a thin lethal knife was seriously planning to kill her had her senses failed to give her warning alarms as she didn't expect to suddenly get targeted out of the bloom in the middle of the night.

No one was supposed to know that she would usually take her strolls at this time of the night—no one that she wasn't close to at least. She even thought that she was safe for the whole day, whatnot after the uneventful day she had gone through even amidst the heavy loads of training and duties, but having _this_ happen to her had proven that she shouldn't have let her guard down.

Out of nowhere from several unknown directions, knives flew towards her, the air shifting around her dangerously as her sense alarmed, her ears twitching at the distinctively familiar sound of the wind being sliced in half due to the speed of the knives propulsion.

Quickly acting out on pure instinct, she launched herself up and grasped the branch of a nearby tree and climbed up to the highest and safest point with the aid of her sharp nails to keep her grip secured, listening intently as the knives hit the barks of the trees, some landing on the ground with a loud noisy clatter.

_'Attempted assassination…huh?'_ She thought bitterly, glaring at the knives from her peripheral view before she jumped off her safe haven and landed on the ground in a harsh ungraceful manner that she would have begrudgingly thought unfitting for someone of her status—but she doesn't, because there's no time to do that.

_'Honoka would probably laugh at me right now if she saw how poorly I landed…'_ A small smile quirked up her lips before it returned to a tight line, shaking her head as she sprinted off. Pushing back any unwanted thoughts that could disrupt her concentration.

Either way, there was no way she'd ever tell her best friend that, there was a lot of her appearance to keep, not just in front of her, but everyone in the tribe. It was better to leave things unspoken and unknown than to spill words that are surely bound to cause an array of webbed problems and chaos. But even for someone of her status, she didn't held that much important information, in fact, she didn't know anything other than the basic statuses inside the community and the conflicts between them and another neighbouring tribe.

So why was she being targeted here? Even if her status had left her an eyesore for the other tribe, there was no reason for them to attempt to kill her, she didn't poses any threat—her father was an even greater threat than she could ever be in terms of power, charisma and status alone.

The young female took a quick glance over her shoulder as she gritted her teeth, trying to take even the smallest glimpse of the assailant, but the darkness inside the forest forbid her, it wasn't surprising considering how deep this place is. There's barely any light that came from the quarter moon, and even if she could see in the dark, her sight had its limits.

The only likely suspicion she could pose is that whoever her assailant was sure had the power to send those knives flying at her direction, likely highly skilled in wielding knives and had a good precision. She'd have been gouge in every part of her body if she hadn't climbed that tree, in fact, she would have commended her enemy out loud out of being deeply impressed had she not been a target for death's awaiting palm.

She wouldn't let herself be subdued by her pursuer, even if it meant crossing the border of her tribe and into restricted bounds.

Looking forward with narrowed shining amber orbs, she stepped on the ground hard enough as she secured her position and bent down before propelling herself forward as she jumped high enough to grasp the branches of the trees and lift herself before stepping on the branches then leaping off to perch again on another branch, doing the same process all over again as she tried to maintain the distance between her and her assailant, if only for a few minutes at best while she tried to rack her head for any idea on how to escape this sticky situation.

"If I had my bow and arrow I'd have retaliated by now!" She hissed angrily, dodging branches after branches as she leaped on another, cautiously looking around the area for any traps along the way while she dodge another knife from piercing her arm.

It wasn't preferable that she was the one being sniped down, but it was better than going into a hand-to-hand combat. She didn't want to engage in a pointless combat without knowing how skilled her enemy is in that area. Even if she could defend herself properly, she was well aware that she could only last for a short period of time, the ache on her side reminding her of the handicap she's carrying.

Thankfully the knife wasn't poisoned and her wound wasn't _that_ deep enough, had it been she would have ended up lying on the ground, cold and dead. However, that didn't mean that she could continue on running away without it taking toll on her body. She was already getting exhausted each minute that passed as she continued her futile attempt to outrun her assailant. Her body was protesting as she felt a heavy wave of fatigue hitting her, the scent of fresh copper didn't help either as it invaded and filled her nostrils, making her want to whine.

She was already at her limit.

Knees weak and concentration broken in brittles due to exhaustion, her foot slipped when she was about to land on the branch, making her fall off and plummet down the ground, landing onto the earthy surface with a loud painful thump. A cry of pain ripping out of her throat as she grasped her wounded side, panting at the shot of hot searing pain coursing through her body after the fall.

She bit her bottom lip, hissing, closing her eyes tightly, enduring her body's beaten condition and tried to roll herself onto her side and stand up, hoping to continue on running away, but the pain coursing through her body was proving to be too difficult to ignore, it almost felt like she had broken a bone or two somewhere.

"D…Damn it…" She snarled; panting heavily while she lied on the ground, soiling her beautiful midnight blue kimono, not only with blood but also dirt and bits of dead crunched up leaves. Her hair was also disarrayed, her side ponytail almost falling apart enough to spill her lustrous deep ocean blue tresses around her like a puddle or blanket.

"I…can't just stop here, not…yet," She closed her eyes and gathered her resolve, only to end up gnashing her teeth tightly together when she attempted to roll on her side again—the side where her wound was—stifling a whimper from parting her lips.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Just give up now and everything would be much simpler, Umi," A voice warned from a distance—cold and monotonous but familiar to the ears of the other female. It sent a shiver down her spine, shock written all over her face as she processed what she heard.

She finally had a name to her assailant, but putting the identity of that person to this assailant of her's, she just couldn't help but feel a wave of hurt pang her heart.

She'd never have guessed for **_he_r **to be the _assailant_, but then again, it only seemed befitting that **_she_** was the one who's here to kill her especially after what happened between them. Besides, who else could ever have that voice that sounded like silk and velvet to her ears? There was only one person that she knew with that distinct quality and there would never be anyone else who could possess that kind of voice, especially someone who specifically holds a grudge towards her.

She wanted to laugh bitterly at that moment, but her stomach kept turning painfully and a bitter taste starting to rise up her mouth, it was an impossible feat without wanting to throw up. Instead, she faced towards the direction of where she heard the voice of her assailant—to where **_she's_** standing—frowning.

"You know just as well how stubborn I can be just as you are yourself…" Umi murmured, making direct eye contact with glimmering azure orbs, taking in the beautiful features of the older female standing a few feet away from where she lied on the cold ground.

Dressed in the same traditional kimono, though coloured in a brighter shade of blue that ended just above her knees, the young female was more than just beautiful—she looked like a Goddess with a crown of golden soft tresses pulled up in a high ponytail, tied using beautiful ribbons in a mix of black, blue and white. A flower was perched on the middle of the ribbon, standing out but blending well with the blonde's hair colour. The flower was _forget-me-nots_—a very symbolic flower that held a message that somehow felt like it was mocking and accusing her.

Apart from the classy expensive looking kimono she wore, the blonde also wore a white fur coat that ended only up to her forearm which hung loosely over her shoulders, making her look ethereally pure, it was combined all too well for her figure alone, but outer appearances can be deceiving—Umi knows that well enough that it makes her want to sigh at such irony.

**_She_** was anything but pure—_they both know that_, if it was just based from their memories and experiences alone together.

"_Heh_—for someone who's been beside you for so long, I've already long memorized how you act, I just hope that you still have half the mind to process that what you're doing isn't going to help you at all," The blonde curtly answered, adjusting the thin knife she held in one hand while putting the other back to the leather case strapped on her left thigh. Umi merely stared head on just as the blonde took a cautious step forward, eyeing her with watchful eyes.

"Is surrendering and getting killed by you going to help me either…?" The young blue haired female weakly asked, albeit wistful as she kept her eyes upon the blonde, never intending to look away in a challenge.

"Not really, but at least it will end your suffering," The older female shrugged, offering a cold hearted smile to her victim while she waved her free hand nonchalantly, "besides, it's not like I care if it helps you or not, as long as I finish this."

"I see…though I don't know if I would believe you…you've always had the knack to act indifferently when you have to," She whispered quietly, as if talking of a secret from an event that occurred a long time ago.

It would have fooled Umi to believe that the blonde could really careless because she knew for certain that **_she_** still cared—_too much_—that the briefest hidden emotions behind those dilated azure orbs were all too noticeable to ignore, even for someone like Umi who had vowed to end their relations once and for all in front of her whole tribe.

"Say it as you wish, but you know that only I know the truth," The blonde hissed, gripping the handle of the knife tightly, her other hand shooting straight to grip the thin neck of the younger female, sharp nails grazed soft porcelain skin in a taunting manner enough to draw blood had she buried her nails in the other female's flesh.

_'Is this your way of trying to convince me?' _

Umi let out a small dry chuckle between gasping in pain and breathing slowly. Closing her eyes, Umi tried to relax her sense, hoping to ease the pain by being lax and letting the fatigue slowly numb her body.

This situation somehow had left her feeling triumphant inside though, even if it's in a situation that would cost her own life since for all she could see this as was definitely a charade—a stupid game that they still kept playing to fool each other just so to hide something of what was once there and what they once held dearly between them, the bond that had been forged and torn all for not, all because of a gruesome conflict and the stupid mistakes between their tribes.

Opening her eyes had proven to be difficult what with the fatigue and pain in her body making her want to yield, but she looked straight back into dilated azure that held confusion and bewilderment, the very same eyes that she stared into when she was worried or troubled during their younger days together.

Lips parting, amber orbs unwavering in the reflected resolve inside her heart, she murmured her response in the middle of the quiet cold night, lying down on the ground, bleeding, with her assailant above her holding a knife that hovered just above her face.

Not the kind of perfect reunion scene she'd love, but all the same, it somehow fit well, especially when it's about both of them.

"You're a really bad liar—"

"—**_Eri_**…"

* * *

**A/N: **That ends the prologue. Try guessing what tribes Umi and Eri came from, though I haven't really given an obvious clue what it is...guessing and wondering isn't bad.

And I think based from this prologue people might think that this is an EriUmi fic...well, this is also a KotoUmi, NozoEri and HonoMaki fanfic. I won't go around saying who's the main pairing, but there is EriUmi for sure.

This prologue is longer than Love Marginal's by 500 words, btw, which I find really funny for some reason.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Obligatory disclaimer note. I do not own Love Live! nor any of the character, thus I do not profit in any sort of way.

My English is not perfect and I won't get tired of saying it. English is my second language, so if you find mistakes, just point it out. I still don't have a proofreader, I could careless anyways because I do things solo, but I will come back to edit updates or chapters if I see any mistakes.

Quite sorry that I again took long to update. Midterms just ended, so now I'm currently treading the dangerous thin line called Finals, hopefully I'll still be alive by the end of the term. I'm gonna say this though, I don't know Japanese, I mean I can read Kana, but I don't know it fully so I have no deeper information concerning the characterization of the characters other than the basis of what I saw in the anime and the few snippets in LL!SIF so whatever goes on in my fics might seem OOC. Forgive me for that, but I will try not to make it too OOC.

Anyhow, let's start with the update. I'll see you at the end with responses to comments.

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**Chapter 1**

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A loud thump, followed by a growl of frustration echoed inside the deepest part of the forest in the middle of the night. A young blonde woman can be seen kneeling in front of a gingko tree, its bark filled with scratches and deep slash marks that were too numerous to be counted as another set of furious slashes hit the tree, engraving the blonde's frustration and seething anger.

"I'm not a liar—! _I'm not…!_" She hissed, gripping the knife in her right hand as she stabbed the bark, chipping off wood and making deeper marks. If it were bones that she was stabbing, it probably would crack with a sickening sound, followed by a person's howling in pain and despair. That would probably soothe her anger, it would probably quench her need to satiate _that_ feeling, but it would never dispel her immense frustration.

She could have killed her. _S_he _should_ have—yet, _she couldn't_.

The chance was already in the palm of her hands; the only thing it took was to do the deed and be done with it. She could have had her revenge and her life would be at peace, but she couldn't take it. Not when there was this lingering feeling of doubt. Not when she still can't break free from the chains of attachment that she felt for her.

Not when she still feels this way—this overwhelming love for the person that caused her so much suffering—was slowly tearing her apart, both from guilt and love.

She could hear her father's voice—cold and sharp, like the knives she wields. They were laced with disappointment and anger, just like the last time she has ever heard him talk to her, which was a very long time ago. If she could recall it correctly, it was almost two years since then. Two years were she hasn't seen her father's face, or even her little sister's.

_'Arisa…'_ She gritted her teeth, azure orbs darkening. She grips her knife even tighter before she puts it back inside her leather case, opting to hold both of her hands tightly, as if she was praying.

Maybe she is praying, but she doesn't believe in religion or the deities of her tribe. They never answered her when she called for help, nor did they pay her any attention, it was the very reason why she believes she has been forsaken.

She could still offer a prayer, it was the only thing she could ever do to try to communicate with her little sister, who was murdered during the time she was _missing, _leaving her sister to fend for herself, in the company of their father who only gave them so little regard as he's too busy to take care of his tasks in the tribe.

_It was her fault._

That she believed it to be, her sister wouldn't have died horribly had she been there to protect her. But she wasn't there.

Sometimes she could hear her parents utter those words at her, just as numerous other voices follow in chorus, some familiar, while others were unknown to her—they were continuously blaming her. It was like they were singing for her, but their song was of mockery and disapproval—shunning her for the person she has become.

It happened often during moments of loneliness.

Just like now.

_'Not this again!' _The blonde shivered, wrapping her arms around her lithe frame. She stood up and with trembling legs, walked away swiftly, trying to get away from the harsh mockery that was hurting her. Yet when even walking away failed, she soon started to run, running as fast as she could back to the direction where the village is, back to where the people who shunned her lived.

Back to where pain would surely come to mar her skin with its cruel marks, branding her and imposing her the weight of her failure—of distrust that was misplaced on her.

She ignores the splatter of mud on her legs, or the fresh dripping blood on her kimono dampening her skin and reminding her of the other—she just wanted to get away from everything even if her attempts were all nothing but futile attempts, she still wanted to grasp that small bit of peace that was stolen from her that very day she was set to trial.

_'Trash.'_

_'Murderer.'_

_'A disgrace to the clan.'_

"Stop it—!" The blonde cried angrily, grasping both sides of her head and clawing her ears as she tried to silence the voices mocking her. Pausing to a halt as she squirmed in what seemed to be anguish, the voices still taunts her—blurring reality slowly around her as the shadows of darkness soon take form as menacing figures caused by her own figment of imagination.

It was all in her head as there was no one there in the forest but her alone, yet the creeping darkness could be quite terrifying just as the deafening silence can permit the entrance of imaginary voices to creep into one's mind and foster fear and pain in one's heart.

All the things she yearned, they were like a long forgotten memory in the past—wanted yet unattainable and left to be forgotten just like how hoping for miracles are nothing but waste of time.

Faintly the blonde could remember, just as she clutched her chest in pain, that somewhere in the past, she held a piece of that happiness and freedom in those times when she was still just a jubilant child—she still didn't have to face the cruelty of the world and the reality around them.

A tear slowly slid down her cheek. Eri laughs bitterly at the thought.

It was sweet innocence indeed.

**o-o-o-o**

_Wind surged while leaves rustled in synch with the direction of the wind, some leaves fluttered in the air like a fragile soft thread travelling gently down to land on the earthy ground. That afternoon was nothing but calm and tranquillity, with nothing but the sun's warmth to comfort the young child as she stretched her limbs, groaning every now and then at the pain that surged through her muscles. _

_Training everyday was tedious, at times painful enough to leave wounds wrapped in freshly damped medicine cloth, sometimes bandages with fresh leaves and medicinal oil. _

_Sometimes she finds herself looking at her wounds with a frown, they shouldn't be there and that she shouldn't be here, training to fight and wield weapons of different variations that her family owned and stored under their dojo, just three feet below the ground along with the large armours made of metal and leather. That place smelled of dust, rust, and leather, with a small trace of blood in the air, the room emitting a certain dark and gloomy atmosphere—it was like stepping into a room that spelled _**death** _everywhere._

_The word _'death' _though wasn't uncommon to her ears, she had heard it several times and often from the servants that gossiped during their breaks. She only knows the word and the concept of what it means to die, but to see someone die in front of her or to even come close to death herself, there was none, she's naïve to it due to being sheltered by her parents and the guards that littered around the premises and hid in the shadows._

_It was exasperating. _

_Every movement she makes is always under the watchful eyes of the guards, if not her childhood-best friend, Honoka of the famous Kousaka axe-wielding clan, would be around to be the substitute to the numerous guards that trailed her shadows. She finds it irksome of course, there was no such thing as privacy. It always seemed that she's too exposed in their presence, but it all changed upon finally reaching the age of eleven. She finally had the chance to free herself from those lingering presence in the dark. It just held a certain price to pay, in the form of training to defend herself, and should the need arise for her—**kill**._

_It was merely for self-defence, but it didn't sit well for her. _

_"There's no way I can do that though…" _

_A sigh escapes her lips and frowns at the thought of taking another person's life. She didn't like the idea of it, especially when she had lessons earlier concerning on the crucial spots of the body. It was easy to kill someone, especially if they held the knowledge as to where to strike and stab. The information itself is useful and hard to forget, especially since she's one to work hard on her studies, but it certainly wasn't a subject she'd love to learn._

_The young child looks at the tantou in her right hand, turning it every now and then while staring at it with curious ambers, watching the metal glint when the sunlight hits it's blade. _

_It was a special tantou crafted just for her. It's still new, clean and extremely sharp. She'd rather not put it to use though and instead hide it under her books inside the drawer near her bed. Maybe she could but then her father, the head of the tribe, would get angry at her._

_"I don't want to keep this on me…" She murmurs, sitting on a nearby rock after sheathing the tantou back to its case. The child brings her legs close to her chest, frowning deeply. If only she was a child born in an ordinary family, maybe she could live a life in peace and not having to worry about such things like this, but it was already too impossible to wish for something that can never come true._

_"If only I wasn't born as a Sonoda…" The child pouts, ears drooping and tail encircling her waist to emphasize her sulking. She didn't like being the heiress of the family, much less the next possible head in their family, it seemed more troublesome than having the other kids her age avoid her because of her status._

_Suddenly a soft whining sound alerts the young heiress, immediately she stands up, whipping around with ears perked up and amber orbs narrowed cautiously to look for any intruder or enemy behind the trees that stretched and circled around her temporary training area, but—there was no one there, at least not in her peripheral view. _

_Anxiety was starting to grow, hampering her chest._

_Whatever made that sound could be anything, even a harmless passing animal, but she still stood guard, it was better than never._

_"If anyone's there…show yourself!" She growled, clutching her tantou tightly as she continued to look around the premises, rustling sounds answered her from behind. _

_Gritting her teeth, the child steps back and turns around to glare at the spot where she thinks the sound came from. Only that the one that was causing her anxiety was only in the form of a small fox—a peculiar blonde fox with gleaming beautiful azures staring at her._

_The child immediately froze in wonder and amazement upon initiating eye contact with the little animal, but it was soon broken when the fox sprinted towards her direction. The child yelped and brought up her tantou in hopes that it would scare the fox and make it turn away, but when it didn't show any signs of retreating as she listened upon it's footsteps, the young heiress soon found herself unsheathing the blade, striking forward aimlessly._

_She missed though, with such a horrible directionless aim._

_The small fox easily dodged the attack and pounced on her, making her squeal and fall backwards to the ground with a loud thump, blade promptly dropped on the ground as the fox merely whined and huffed, sitting on top of the heiress' stomach, looking ever so pleased with itself while the young Sonoda was left to recover from the fall._

_"That hurts…" She groaned, screwing her eyes shut as the wave of pain coursed through her body, especially her head, rendering her momentarily immobilized as she tried to collect herself. She never expected that fox to come forward, even when she had unsheathed her tantou, this fox was certainly peculiar._

_Cheeks puffed, brows knitted together, she let her body relax for a moment, not minding the fact that her training clothes were already dirty or the fact that there was still a fox sitting on her stomach—_

'—Wait!'

_Amber orbs shot up wide in horror as she stared at the blonde fox that was watching her with the same glistening azures from earlier, the young Sonoda somehow felt even more anxious in this kind of proximity. _

_She tried to feel up for her tantou, knowing that she had dropped it when she had fallen to the ground, but it wasn't there beside her. _

_Turning her head quickly while ignoring the pounding pain in her head, she looked around for the said weapon in panic, quickly reaching for it as soon as she spotted it, but before her fingers could even touch the wooden handle, a pale dainty hand had already reached for it. Where that hand came from and how did that person suddenly appeared unnerved her—the atmosphere also changed, just as the weight of the fox on her stomach had slightly gotten heavier._

_"I wouldn't do that if I were you," A voice from above her spoke. The voice was of a young girl, it sounded as smooth as silk and velvet and enchanting as bells and chimes. It held a noticeable reprimanding tone laced with a teasing edge in it, but all the same kind that the young heiress froze up for different various reasons, but one of them is more prominent—_bewilderment.

_Slowly, the young Sonoda heiress turned her head to face her company, only for her mouth to gape in astonishment at what she saw. _

_What sat on her stomach was a beautiful young blonde with the same gleaming azure orbs. From what she could guess, the girl looked a year older than her, clad in a beautiful loose blue kimono with a white fur scarf wrapped around her neck. Her blonde hair was tied up in a noticeable high ponytail with a beautiful black frilly ribbon kept her hair in place, a white lily as the centre piece of the ribbon._

_There was only one thing to describe her, even though it was too poor enough, but it could suffice to what she would have blurted out had she not been dumbfounded—the blonde was definitely beautiful._

_What had also caught the young heiress off-guard was the fact that the other girl didn't appear hostile, she was actually smiling down at her, surprisingly so even after she had tried to use her tantou against the blonde. Not that it was her fault, but she couldn't say that out loud especially in this kind of situation where she's on a losing position._

_"You know, it's dangerous to swing this around especially at people, unless you're planning on hurting others. Though, you don't look like you could," The blonde spoke in a thoughtful voice, void of any malice other than warm wonderment and amusement. _

_Why did she look like that? _

_The young blue haired heiress wanted to ask what exactly made the blonde look like an excited child, but instead she uttered a different question._

_"Are you here to kill me?"_

_Though, instead of getting an affirmative response, the blonde tilted her head instead, blinking as if she had encountered an unusual question, but the young Sonoda heiress did not falter from the slight adorable display of the blonde's confusion in front of her. It might just be the other girl's way of distracting her—at least that's what she thought it really is._

_"What point would it do for me to kill you? I'm not that kind of person who's going to do that without a reason," The other girl continued to smile, not bothered with the younger girl's accusation. Instead she stifled a giggle, a hand automatically raised up to cover her lips in an attempt to cover her laughter from the young heiress, but the way the blonde's tail wagged behind her gave away the fact that she was indeed laughing—seemingly finding joy in this situation. _

_"T-There's nothing funny about what I said…"_

_"Hey, but you know, even if I were to, you're just too cute to be killed though, it would be quite a waste~" She admitted without any such hesitation, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, aside from the fact that she's sitting on girl younger than herself. But it did pay off, at least the blonde thought it did when she saw the girl's face start to flush red—she could rival a tomato or a ripe apple, but there was no way those could be cuter than this girl she has pinned down._

_"Ahh, your face is turning red, so cute~" The blonde giggled as she poked the younger girl's reddened cheeks, watching as the girl's ears drooped and twitched each time her fingers met the soft warm and smooth skin of the blue haired girl's cheeks._

_"I-It's not…" The heiress protested, while she attempted to wiggle her way out so that the blonde would get off her, but with little to no success at that as the blonde merely rode through her actions, an eyebrow quirked up in amusement._

_"Aww, don't be like that, it's not like I'm going to hurt you."_

_"W-Well, that might be true…but it feels awkward having you sit there," The younger of the two pouted, waving a hand to gesture at their current position which did not in any way falter the blonde's amusement nor made her feel any embarrassment other than a huge urge to tease the other girl even further due to her flustered state._

_She still had to get off her though since she at least had the decency to give the other girl a breather because she did looked tense from their proximity, or maybe just too up guarded—or both._

_"Ah? Is that so, I'm sorry, you were quite warm and comfortable to sit on…" The blonde giggled, eyeing her blue haired companion as she dusted off the dirt from her training clothes. _

_Now having a full view of the other girl standing, the blonde could fully see that her companion was shorter than her and had a fragile looking body frame. It wasn't a wonder why she fell off so fast, she's too thin to hold up the force that the blonde used on her. Maybe if she did have muscle training she would be able to withstand the force and save face._

_But, was it certainly alright for her to be practicing close-range combat? It didn't seem to fit her, especially with her body type._

'She'd certainly be better off going for long-range combat…like bows and arrows,'_ The blonde mentally noted in her head, hoping to suggest it to the younger girl later on in hopes of helping her out with her combat skills. For now, getting to know this young little girl was a top priority, it was only a gut feeling, but something made her interested in this clumsy child._

_"Say, what's your name? I'm Eri, Ayase Eri," The blonde, now known as Ayase Eri, introduced herself while she approached her younger companion, smiling when the girl's golden orbs glittered under the sun's rays. It's like looking into a piece of precious stone or a mirror, but this one held more emotions and sparkled brighter than any gem. _

_Just seeing such expressive eyes, Eri knew that this girl certainly is innocent and pure, void of any malice but just scepticism._

_It would be unfair for this young girl to truly know the world they are living in, it would probably tarnish her innocence and just the thought of it made Eri feel something dark swirl inside her, the negativity of it was something that she should never see, not at a young age._

_If she were to be asked, she'd rather that this girl would not undergo any form of combat training, but it wasn't an option. They all need to know how to defend themselves._

_Pushing those thoughts back, Eri maintained her composure, hoping that the smile on her face did not falter for even one bit. _

_She didn't want to contribute to the small growing seed of doubt that the younger girl was already holding in her hands. Eri didn't want to see her ever again think that the world was anything but harm, especially after she first heard the younger girl ask her about whether she was after her life—it would be like committing a sin to ever make this girl feel and think that way._

_"Ayase Eri…?" The younger of the two murmured, testing the blonde's name in uncertainty while trying to rack her mind up for any possible past knowledge of the other girl's family name. It certainly sounded familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere except she just couldn't recall where she had heard it and what it was about._

_In her attempt to try recalling that memory, the young heiress couldn't help but stare at the blonde a bit longer than necessary, as if it might help her—maybe it did, or maybe it didn't because all she could find in her observation was that this girl, Eri, is quite beautiful with a hint of mischief and fun curiosity blended in her personality._

_ —As well as the fact that Eri too, was staring back at her, eye-to-eye._

_Red immediately painted back the heiress' cheeks at being caught staring, but Eri didn't seem to heed it any attention and merely chuckled at her sudden fidgeting—even if it was at her expense and embarrassment._

_"U-Uhm, sorry…I'm Sonoda Umi," The younger girl smiled nervously whilst scratching the back of her head in embarrassment due to having been caught in a daze for a moment. It didn't bother the blonde; in fact she found it just as adorable to see the younger girl lost in thoughts just as much as when she's flustered. Eri never knew anyone who could get flustered easily, that is at least if she compared her cool and calm friend, Erena, to this new adorable girl she found._

_Eri might just call herself lucky._

_"Umi? That's a really beautiful name, it suits you really well!" _

_"T-Thank you…Ayase-san?" The smaller girl turned away, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeves._

_"Ehh~ Don't be so formal with me, you can just call me by my name, Umi," Eri puffed her cheeks, both her hands on resting on her side with a forbidding expression in her azure orbs, ears drooped down and almost touching her hair—it was a look of an abandoned puppy, but she isn't a puppy—she's a _fox_. Not that prior knowledge of that could stop Umi from feeling small pricks of guilt in her heart at the saddened look the blonde was making simply because Umi hadn't used Eri's given name to address her._

_"But that's…I," Umi stuttered while she fidgeted with the hem of her training clothes. It wasn't a hard request to fulfil, it's just that didn't seem to sit right on her to use the other girl's given name when they just met. It would seem to disrespectful and rude, however, the fact that the face that Eri was giving her was also guilt gripping gave Umi no option._

_"I'd be really happy if you called me by my name though," The blonde continued to pout, eyes gazed down while she dragged her foot on the ground, drawing little circles, continuing to play depressed in front of the young Sonoda heiress. Eri knew it was unfair to play like this, but if she wanted to get something, especially from a shy girl like Umi, she'd do it unfairly._

_At least it didn't require dragging her act for too long as Umi soon gave up, shoulders slumped in defeat at being crushed with guilt._

_"O-Okay, E…E-Eri."_

_"Yup! That's me~" Eri immediately clapped her hands together, the smile on her lips turning into a grin, tail wagging from side to side in glee as she bounced beside the blue haired girl, who's mood immediately perked up at the actions of the blonde. _

_In response, the heiress' attempted to stifle a giggle from parting her lips. It was a futile attempt, especially when Umi felt this comfortable and relaxed—like a small glimpse of freedom, and if it had a taste it would be like a droplet of fresh sweet golden honey with a tinge of fruits and sourness on the side._

_Maybe there was something to look forward to now that she has gained a new friend—in the form of a blonde fox whose eyes sparkled like gems and smelled of fresh lilies._

**o=o=o=o**

Looking around the reception area, curious golden orbs scanned through the contents of the room. It was quiet, with only the ticking of the clock filling the long stretched silence, not that she expected it to be rowdy at a time and place like this. This silence was better though than having the placed filled up with patients seeking for medical help, or the clambering of nurses pushing stretchers to operating rooms.

Hospitals weren't Kotori's favourite place as death clung invisibly beside each hospital's name. Sure she had been a health committee member and at some point in time, she'd handle basic medical treatments when the nurse is away but it wasn't anything grave.

It was different here, it just left a different overall feeling, it wasn't a good feeling, but at least it wasn't very bad either even if it did made Kotori feel sad at the thought of other peoples admitted here due to certain issues. However, before the brunette's thoughts could proceed any deeper, the sound of approaching footsteps alerted her of another person's presence, the sharp clicking of heels meeting concrete ground interrupting her thoughts.

The brunette already knew who was approaching her.

Smiling, she turned back and stood up from her sit, waving at a young redhead who was a year younger than her, wearing a black leather jacket over a simple white blouse, with denim jeans cladding and hugging her legs, finished off with a pair of black d'Orsay pumps.

To say the least, her relationship with Nishikino Maki is on friendly terms, once bordering from acquaintanceship now turned to friendship. The likely cause stemming from both their mother's close friendship with each other, which often comes with either of the two girls meeting one another whenever their mothers visited the other. Plus they both went to the same high school, which is being run by Kotori's own mother, Otonokizaka Academy, an all-girls school, which meant they would at times bump into each other in the hallway.

"How was work, Maki-chan?" The young greyish brunette asked, giving her companion a sidelong glance once she was beside the brunette, before looking back in front as they started to make their way to the entrance, exiting the redhead's workplace, sandals and heels clicking in rhythm with each other as they kept their pace to match the other.

"Same as usual I guess," The redhead responded with a hum, shrugging her shoulders with a look of nonchalance on her face, earning her a giggle and a nod from her brunette companion.

"What about you, Kotori?"

"Nothing much too, but Nico-chan came by for a moment to check up on the costumes she wanted in preparation for her TV guesting," Kotori smiled as she recounted the moment their friend had called her in the afternoon with a tone of importance and professionalism laced in her voice, checking up on the costumes that the young designer was near to finish in time with the idol's new TV appearance.

"Is it for the promotion for her new album?" The young doctor sighed, obviously expecting an affirmative to her question. What else would it be anyways? She already knows that that woman would only call if she needed anything—it's always the same, just like before then, it's a usual occurrence. It doesn't come much of a surprise now.

"Mhm, she said we could drop by the set if we wanted. Nico-chan said she'll pick us up as long as we call her. Are you going, Maki-chan?"

"_Heh_—that's nice of her, but I'm not going. I have two operations tomorrow and three scheduled appointments," Maki said firmly, allowing no one to convince her otherwise. Not that Kotori would either. The redhead's job was too vital to ignore.

"I see…I can't go too, I have to finish the other costumes requested, plus there's a fashion show coming up soon, so…" The brunette smiled in helplessness as she recounted mentally the tasks she had for the whole month.

It was a busy year for her due to having debuted as a fashion designer in Japan with the help of their friends promotions and support gained her a lot of opportunities and jobs, some of which she couldn't take without overloading her schedule and endangering her health.

That didn't mean that she didn't have time for her friends and family. There's always time allotted to them, it just so happens that this month is particularly hard to squeeze in that much needed bonding time.

"Nico-chan would get upset if one of us doesn't come… Maybe I should call Nozomi-chan, she might be able to come and cheer Nico-chan up," Kotori laughed nervously, already imagining the raven idol crossing her arms and shouting at them, pouting, at how they didn't come to support her. Although the idol's temper wasn't that long, it wasn't hard for her to forgive, it's just that she didn't have that much patience for certain things which sometimes become too difficult to handle.

There was only one person who could, but with a method that could easily scar one's memories, someone who Maki knew personally, just as much as Kotori does.

"More than cheering, she might make Nico-chan uncomfortable, what with her weird breast rubbing antics…" The redhead pointed out, waving her free hand to emphasize her point, while her other hand was currently preoccupied with holding onto her Prada bag's strap.

"W-Well…I guess you're right…" Kotori rubbed the back of her head, head bowed as she laughed in her own silliness for even suggesting a certain shrine maiden to come.

"In any case, if we could finish early, we could drop by. Tell Nico-chan that if she calls you when she checks up on her costume later on," Maki smiled when she glanced at the brunette's direction as she spoke gently, although the way her lips curved up was faint and small, Kotori knew that the redhead might have found some amusement in whatever she had said.

"Maki-chan sure knows how to handle Nico-chan," Kotori answered in a hushed whisper, chuckling.

"Not really…it's just that we've been friends for a long time," The redhead mumbled quietly, amethysts narrowed as she glanced away, a frown on her face. She didn't want to think about the implications that Kotori was referring to with concerning the raven, but she certainly didn't want to think that the brunette was referring to the length period of her romantic relationship with Nico—her _ex._

The designer definitely did knew a lot about her relationship with the raven, especially since she mostly hangs out with her own little circle of friends, composed of her same age friends, Hanayo and Rin, then comes Kotori, and finally the older sister of their group, Nozomi.

All four of them knew about her past with Nico, but they never brought it up, knowing that old wounds would open up. It was very unlikely that Kotori was attempting to open any because as such, the brunette's question was nothing more than just an analysis and nothing more.

The two continued to walk out of the building, but not before they gave a little farewell wave towards the nurses in the help desk, whom also bid them farewell with smiles and simple _'Take care'_ statements. And once she and Kotori stepped out of the hospital, they were greeted by a starry night sky, void of the usual clouds that covered the glittering celestial bodies.

They could even see the half-moon, which served as the centre piece to the otherwise magnificent view of the city buildings' lights sparkling in different colours at night. They certainly did have to thank the location of the hospital Maki was working for, having been stationed near the mountain woods, giving it leverage so that they were able to view such scenery.

Taking a deep breath of the cool midnight breeze, Maki closed her eyes and tried to enjoy this rare moment—but she couldn't.

Not when the air smelled of fresh copper, and that itself was alarming.

"Kotori—do you smell _that_…?" Maki turned to her companion in question, earning her a confused look from the brunette before she looked away from the redhead and took a sniff, mouth gaping as she realized what exactly the younger woman asked her about.

"I-It can't be…" The brunette stuttered, leaving her statement hanging in the air, obviously not wanting to end it.

Thankfully or not, the redhead finished Kotori's statement, but it left the atmosphere heavy and colder than it already is, the weight of danger ringing warning signals inside their heads.

"It's blood."

"D-Do you think, it's…somewhere near?" Kotori fidgeted, approaching the redhead and grasping the end of her black leather jacket, also looking around the premises with worried golden orbs.

"It can't be far, surely. Let's just hope it isn't anything bad," Maki gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes as she looked around, walking a few meters away from Kotori while acting precariously in case something occurs.

She sniffed again, trying to find the source, but it was faint. She took a few steps again, sniffing all the while until the smell grew stronger, meaning it was near.

Maki didn't even notice that Kotori wasn't beside her by then, making the redhead worried, her priorities shifting briefly from finding the source of the smell of blood to looking for the brunette.

"M-Maki-chan! T-This way…! Hurry!" The brunette called out in urgency from somewhere afar, prompting the redhead to throw away all sense of elegance and composure to run to the direction of where she had heard her friend's voice.

The redhead jumped over the fence, thankful for her the denim jeans she wore for work. She ran through bushes, cautiously passing through a few trees until she finally takes a complete full stop once she spots Kotori's kneeling figure. The action though, causing Maki to pant for breath due to running, something which she rarely does now due to the continuing pile of work and the amount of surgeries and appointments she had to attend to. She'd definitely need to put jogging back on her list after this.

"K-Kotori, what's wrong?" Maki groaned, wiping off the sweat dripping down her chin with a clean handkerchief, occasionally puffing out short breaths while attempting to calm her pounding heart—the air smelled strongly of blood though.

She tried to look over the brunette's shoulder but it prove to be a futile attempt, especially when Kotori had long greyish brown tresses cascading down her back and off her shoulders, it practically made her stand out from the crowd, apart from her stylish way of clothing and the peculiar hairstyle.

Giving up with her attempt, Maki dragged herself near Kotori, enough to see what exactly she was looking at, eyes hardening as she saw an unconscious young woman clad in expensive kimono, side damped of blood.

"The wound's still fresh… Is it fatale?" Kotori turned to the young doctor nervously while also making for her as the redhead also crouched in front of the blue haired mystery person, silently loosening the kimono with the brunette's help.

"The cut, it doesn't seem deep. She'll die from blood loss though if we don't get her to the hospital…" Maki spoke critically while she inspected the wound. It was definitely fresh, but it wasn't deep enough to puncture any vital parts, but there could be more wounds that were more fatale than this so the redhead gave the woman a full glance from head to toe, only for her eyes to shot up wide, quickly going back up to look at the woman's head.

"This is… Tell me I'm not dreaming, Kotori…" The young doctor blinked a few times, even rubbed her eyes to clear any obstruction from her eyes, and the possible wave of disbelief that still clings to her mind at what she's seeing.

But—it was still there. And it was obvious that even the designer next to her was also stunned, she might have not noticed it when she saw the woman, probably due to worry and urgency of the situation at hand.

"T-These, look like dog ears…" Kotori pointed at the said ears perched on top of the woman's side in question, and although they were drooped, it did look like dog ears. She could also spot something fluffy behind the woman, it looked like a tail, it looked quite fluffy that it somehow made the brunette want to touch it, wondering if it was real or if it was just an accessory for cosplay, yet she thought not to as she knew not to invade other people's personal space or their privacy.

"If it's real, we can't just send her there. They might run tests on her…" The redhead's jaw clenched at the thought of a possible experimentation occurring. They had to be careful about this situation because by the looks of it, those ears are definitely attached to the base of the woman's head, sending her to the hospital may sound plausible right now given due to the situation but it had certain prices to pay with the oddity of this given situation.

It was a gamble that Maki wasn't willing to take.

If she were to help this woman, she wouldn't put her to harm, that was something that she vowed because Maki herself knew that any negative outcome would surely come back to haunt her consciousness. Just like the times when patients die in front of her, be it while on operation or in their beds.

"What should we do?"

"Let's take her back to my family's mansion, it's quite near here than my condo; surely our private clinic has all the equipment and supplies there. Can you have the car ready, Kotori? I'll just do some first aid on her wounds and stop the bleeding," Maki said while she took off her jacket and folded the sleeves of her white blouse, propping down her Prada bag on the ground without much care whether it would get dirty as she took out a small first aid kit.

Knowing not to bother Maki, Kotori stood up and gave Maki the space she needed as she browsed the contents of the first aid kit so as to start with the treatment. The brunette gave a stuttering '_Okay'_ response in exclamation, the bushes rustling as she moved through them.

Now left alone with this unconscious woman, Maki proceeded to clean the wound, only to find few leaves left patched on the length of the woman's wound, some torn off probably due to having gotten stuck on the kimono.

Someone must have treated this woman, but there was no one around when they arrived, not at least when Maki gave one good look around the place.

This is definitely strange.

Just how exactly did this woman get here too? Why was she left outside the premises of the hospital, when the hospital itself is just a few steps near, not that it was a good idea to take her there given the circumstance. But what's with the ears, and that tail she spots at the corner of her eyes too, are they really real?

And most important of all other questions—who exactly did this, and what were their motives? Because whatever this is, Maki knew that this encounter with this woman would leave a mark in their lives, both for hers and Kotori's—just how vital her part is for their future, Maki doesn't know, what she knows is that this woman is definitely an oddity—and it was something they had to be careful.

"Just what exactly are you?"

* * *

**Responses:**

**nobodD, Dash24zappshift**, and **avemari **- Thank you.

**AyaseEricchii** - Thanks. Well, there's a deeper reason why. Keep chanting EriUmi. XD

**Meowzakers - **I'm gonna apologize now because I'm not going to go for Nozomi being an assassin, there's already a fic featuring her, Eri, and Nico as one's. I think it was called (X) Factor.

What? Hahaha, I feel bad for Umi, but we all can't help but not sympathize when our biases or favorites are the ones doing the mean stuff. And thank you.

* * *

**A/N: **That wraps up the first chapter. Trivial stuffs though, this chapter is 15 pages long, worth 6,777 characters while Love Marginal's is around 4,067 characters only. I have this habit of increasing page counts every next update, but sometimes it depends on the contents. Let's see how things will fair.

Btw, I already gave a hint with the genre of the story. Since it's fantasy based, the tribes the Eri and Umi are from are mythical. I already mentioned that Eri's a fox, or more like half-human, half-fox type. Both Eri and Umi's villages are located deep within the mountain's forest so naturally no human will ever see them which is why Maki finds it absurd and an oddity to meet someone that has animal ears and a tail. You can say that Eri and Umi's tribes are just like the ethnic tribes that are hidden deep within nature. You really need to take a hike if you want to visit them.

I haven't mentioned though what type Umi is...other than the hint that her ears looks like a dog's. Honoka is of the same tribe as Umi, so Honoka can be your actual hint, or not. There's already quite a lot of hints in this update, if you can find them and create an idea matching around the central basis of what this story is revolving on, then congratulations. You can now not read this fanfic. Hahaha. XD

And if anyone's gonna ask me about the cameo of other characters, I've also mentioned other Muse members like Honoka, Nico, Hanayo, Rin and Nozomi in here. They will make their appearance too, some are vital to the story. Also there's A-RISE, I like them btw so you might see some of them frequently, so yes, since I've already mentioned Erena, Anju and Tsubasa will also be appearing. I'll also feature some of the LL!SIF characters too since there's quite a lot of them, instead of creating OCs.

Also, flashback on Eri and Umi's first meeting when they were little. Umi's 11 years old in that flashback. But no, Eri isn't a year older than Umi. She's actually two years older than Umi, making her 13 years old.

In the present, these would be the ages of the Muse members:

Nozomi, Eri, Nico - 24

Kotori, Umi, Honoka - 22

Hanayo, Maki, Rin - 21

A-RISE's:

Erena, Anju, Tsubasa - 22

They are older because...really, we can't expect them to have professional jobs at a young age. Why Maki's a doctor at a young age, let's say she underwent into a program that lessened her time in medical school. Maki is smart after all, so I don't doubt her intelligent prowess. She can achieve that.

Now that we have the first chapter, did it interest you more? Anyways, hopefully I can write the next chapter after updating Love Marginal though.

See you guys in the next update! Ciao.


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